Coronavirus Covid-19 Update

Memo to residents and their families – 28^th October 2020

Due to the rising number of Corona Virus infections in the community, the changes to visiting in care homes, notified by the Cabinet Secretary have not been authorised yet. Risk Assessments and procedure needs to be approved by the local Public Health (PH) team and this remains an ongoing review.

Visiting – Some of the homes within the company have had to suspend visiting due to concerns over possible positive test results. These may turn out to be false positives but Public Health err on the side of caution until the home has an ‘all clear’ again. Although disappointing, this is actually a good sign that regular testing of staff is working to try and stop any outbreaks as soon as possible.

Because of the risk to the health of the residents and others, it is imperative that all visitors follow the current rules and the guidance issued by management and staff on the day.

Visiting will be carefully planned and on a booking system.
There are strict protocols that homes need to adhere to.
All visits will be stopped in the event of an outbreak of the virus within the home
Visits may be stopped because of any breach of the rules.

The situation can change extremely quickly but we will continue to try and keep you updated and management can give you information on the individual home’s circumstances.

Thank you very much for your understanding in these difficult times of change.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 14^th October 2020

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport sent a letter to Care Homes yesterday with updates to the stage 3 visiting plan. She recognised that the changes would need careful planning to ensure safe and manageable arrangements. As before, the Risk Assessments and procedure needs to be approved by the local Public Health (PH) team and is subject to ongoing review.

Visiting – There are a lot of changes to all areas of visiting with children, pets and social contact being suggested as possible. To facilitate these changes, home management need to plan how a phased process will work to keep everyone safe, particularly as infection rates rise in the community.

This may take some time but will be communicated to all residents and families as soon as possible.

Because of the risk to the health of the residents and others, but also the risk of public health stopping the visiting entirely, it is imperative that all visitors follow the current rules and the guidance issued by staff on the day.

Anyone not following the rules will be asked to leave and may not be allowed back unless they agree to follow the rules.

Visiting will be carefully planned and on a booking system.
There are strict protocols that homes need to adhere to.
All visits will be stopped in the event of an outbreak of the virus within the home
Visits may be stopped because of any breach of the rules.

We are grateful for your continued support and understanding in these difficult times of change.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 20th August 2020

With new Government guidance giving us a staged approach to visiting in Care Homes, we recognise that it’s important to keep everyone informed as best we can.

Visiting – Under the latest guidance, garden visiting is now allowed with up to 3 visitors from 2 households (depending on the size of garden) and visiting is allowed within the homes by one designated visitor.

As before, the Risk Assessments and procedure needs to be approved by the local Public Health (PH) team and is subject to ongoing review.

Because of the risk to the health of the residents and others, but also the risk of public health stopping the visiting entirely, it is imperative that all visitors follow the rules and the guidance issued by staff on the day.

Anyone not following the rules will be asked to leave and may not be allowed back unless they agree to follow the rules.

Visiting will be carefully planned and on a booking system.
There are strict protocols that homes need to adhere to.
Visiting slots are limited and each type of visiting is not available every day.
All visits will be stopped in the event of an outbreak of the virus within the home
Visits may be stopped because of any breach of the rules.

Please speak to the manager for specific home information.

We are grateful for your continued support and understanding in these difficult times of continuing restrictions.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 10^th August 2020

With new Government guidance giving us a staged approach to visiting in Care Homes, we recognise that it’s important to keep everyone informed as best we can.

Visiting – immediately after our last memo on Friday 7^th, the Scottish Government issued new guidance effective from Monday 10^th August about enlarging garden visiting now and allowing some visiting within the home in a designated area from around 24^th August. As before, the procedure and policy will need to be approved by the local Public Health (PH) team. We are contacting PH to inform us of the approval process.

It is likely to take a number of days before we get approval and each home will communicate with their families as soon as approval is granted.

This will be carefully planned and on a booking system.
Each resident will be able to receive visits from up to three designated people from a maximum of two households.
Strict protocols need to be in place to provide the best possible protection for residents, but also for staff who are needed to provide the care.
Visitors will be expected to wear a face covering and the homes can provide these on entry to the garden. Staff will continue to wear suitable PPE.
Seating will be arranged adhering to the distancing advice of 2 metres.
We would ask that visitors do not hug, kiss or touch their loved ones.
There will be cleaning regimes in place between visits.
All visits will be stopped in the event of an outbreak of the virus within the home.
Please speak to the manager for specific home information.

We have designated an area to allow visiting within the home and are in the process of drafting the procedure for approval. This will allow one designated person to visit within the home in this area. Because visiting is moving inside and the risks are greater, in order to avoid any infection, this procedure will be longer and we anticipate it will take longer for PH to give their approval. Indoor visiting will be subject to the points above and also the following, similar to previous garden visits. This will not begin until 24^th August at the earliest.

This is to be with a single named visitor for each resident.

As always, we would like to thank our staff, residents, their families and friends and all of our suppliers for working together during this difficult time.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 7th August 2020

With Government guidance giving us a staged approach to visiting in Care Homes, we recognise that it’s important to keep everyone informed as best we can.

Visiting – the Scottish Government were due to issue new rules from Friday the 24^th July about enlarging garden visiting and allowing some visiting within the home in a designated area. Unfortunately they wrote to care homes soon after this to say that they weren’t yet in a position to allow this or provide more information. As yet, no further information has followed, possibly being delayed by the recent upswing in cases across the country. We understand how difficult this is for both residents and their families, especially those who can not visit the gardens. We are working with the National organisation Scottish Care to have the Scottish Government progress this and will update you again as soon as there is further news.

When the process is approved, as before, the procedure and policy will need to be approved by the local Public Health (PH) team. We have considered our plans for enlarging the garden visit and will be ready to request approval as soon as the process is announced and clarified.

At the moment garden visiting continues as before with one designated visitor per resident, outside in the garden, with appropriate PPE and social distancing at all times.

We continue to have video and Skype calls and other means to keep you in touch. Each home is doing everything it can to keep you in contact with your loved ones. Each home is different and not every home can implement each idea that you might see in the media, but we do those that we can.

Our staff continue to work as an amazing team, showing compassion and dedication. We have a collection of pictures, poems, videos and photos on our website, which is added to daily at www.randolphhill.com

As always, we would like to thank our staff, residents, their families and friends and all of our suppliers for working together during this difficult time.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 1^st July 2020

With new Government guidance giving us a staged approach to visiting in Care Homes, we recognise that it’s important to keep everyone informed as best we can.

Visiting – the Scottish Government issued new guidance effective from Friday the 3^rd July about garden visiting.

This will be carefully planned and on a booking system.
This is likely to be with a single named visitor for each resident.
Strict protocols need to be in place to provide the best possible protection for residents, but also for staff who are needed to provide the care.
Visitors will be expected to wear a face covering and the homes can provide these on entry to the garden. Staff will continue to wear suitable PPE.
Seating will be arranged adhering to the distancing advice of 2 metres.
We would ask that visitors do not hug, kiss or touch their loved ones.
There will be cleaning regimes in place between visits.
All visits will be stopped in the event of an outbreak of the virus within the home.
Please speak to the manager for specific home information.

We continue to have video and Skype calls and other means to keep you in touch. Each home is doing everything it can to keep you in contact with your loved ones. Each home is different and not every home can implement each idea that you might see in the media, but we do those that we can.

As always, we would like to thank our staff, residents, their families and friends and all of our suppliers for working together during this difficult time.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 2^nd June 2020

In the Randolph Hill nursing homes we are continuing to provide the best possible care we can in the ever changing circumstances surrounding Corona Virus.

At first, we published these updates each week, but as we have settled down into a rhythm we have reduced their occurrence. However, we recognise that it’s important to keep everyone informed as best we can.

Randolph Hill has been following all the government advice and will continue to do so. The Scottish Government has said it intends to Test ALL residents and care home staff and while this has happened at some homes, we still await this being rolled out everywhere.

Visiting restrictions will continue in all of our care homes, to provide the best possible protection for residents, but also for staff who are needed to provide the care. As lockdown restrictions are being reduced, this is being reviews at a National level and we will inform you all as soon as any changes have been clarified and we know when they might begin. This is likely to be with a single named visitor for each resident.

While we appreciate how difficult and distressing these restrictions are for you and your loved ones, we would like to thank you for being so understanding and patient with our hard working staff team. We have arranged video calls and other means to keep you in contact. You will understand that arranging this takes so much time when things are already busy. Each home is doing everything it can to keep you in contact with your loved ones. Each home is different and not every home can implement each idea that you might see in the media, but we do those that we can.

Our staff show amazing compassion and dedication. They continue to come to work, despite the risks to themselves and their families, to care for our older citizens, frequently going the extra mile to make a resident happy. We have a collection of pictures, poems, videos and photos on our website, which is added to daily at www.randolphhill.com

As always, we would like to thank our staff, residents, their families and friends and all of our suppliers for working together during this difficult time.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 12^th May 2020

In the Randolph Hill nursing homes we are continuing to provide the best possible care we can in the ever changing circumstances surrounding Corona Virus.

Visiting restrictions will continue in all of our care homes, to provide the best possible protection for residents, but also for staff who are needed to provide the care.

Today is the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale and is International Nurses Day. We will be putting pictures of our wonderful nurses and all the fantastic teams that support them onto the website in the coming days.

As always, we would like to thank our staff, residents, their families and friends and all of our suppliers for working together during this difficult time.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 29th April 2020

In the Randolph Hill nursing homes we are continuing to provide the best possible care we can in the ever changing circumstances surrounding Corona Virus.

New guidance has just been issued from Health Protection Scotland for Care Home settings. Randolph Hill has been following all the government advice and will continue to do so. If you have any concerns please contact the home as the manager will be able to answer your specific question.

Visiting restrictions will continue in all of our care homes, to provide the best possible protection for residents, but also for staff who are needed to provide the care.

To keep in touch, staff help residents use Skype, Whatsapp and Facetime. We have many cards and letters coming in all the time from families and the community. To see a selection of these, visit our website www.randolphhill.com

Testing for residents who show symptoms is working well and results usually come back in 48 hours. Many residents with symptoms have tested negative but there are some confirmed cases and staff continue to follow firm infection control measures to reduce any spread.

Volunteer recruitment continues, similar to what the NHS have done. The volunteers would only be used if care home staffing has been reduced due to sickness. So far, the homes continue to operate with full staffing, helped by bank and agency staff.

We have received gifts from local businesses, school children and the community in general. It is really uplifting to experience the warmth and gratitude towards the work of our staff.

Our staff continue to show amazing teamwork. Those who need to self –isolate return when they are fit and able and, meanwhile, their colleagues rise to working extra so that residents receive their usual, wonderful, compassionate level of care – we are hugely grateful to them all.

As always, we would like to thank our staff, residents, their families and friends and all of our suppliers for working together during this difficult time.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 22nd April 2020

In the Randolph Hill nursing homes we are continuing to provide the best possible care we can in the ever changing circumstances surrounding Corona Virus.

Randolph Hill is following all the government advice that is being issued regularly and will continue to do so. This advice is provided by the Scottish Government, Health Protection Scotland, NHS Scotland and the local NHS Trusts, the Local Authority and local Health and Social Care Partnerships. If you have any concerns please contact the home as the manager will be able to answer your specific question.

Visiting restrictions will continue in all of our care homes, to provide the best possible protection for residents, but also for staff who are needed to provide the care.

Testing for residents who show symptoms is now being offered in all nursing homes. Many residents with symptoms have tested negative but there are some confirmed cases and staff continue to follow firm infection control measures to reduce any spread.

Social work care fees have been agreed for the next year and initially those increases will be paid for by the council. The normal financial review will be completed and, when notified to us, we will amend the invoices for families.

Private fee invoices will be sent out this week with an adjustment invoice for the period from 1 April.

As always, we would like to thank our staff, residents, their families and friends and all of our suppliers for working together during this difficult time.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 14^th April 2020

We know this continues to be a very worrying time for everyone. In the Randolph Hill nursing homes we are continuing to provide the best possible care we can in ever changing circumstances.

Randolph Hill is following all the government advice that is being issued regularly and will continue to do so. If you have any concerns please contact the home as the manager will be able to answer your specific question.

We continue to have visiting restrictions in all of our care homes, to provide the best possible protection for residents, but also for staff who are needed to provide the care. We would ask that everyone follows this guidance.

Covid-19 testing for residents who show symptoms has not been consistent across the council areas but is now happening in all of the nursing homes. Many residents have tested negative but there are some confirmed cases and staff continue to follow firm infection control measures to reduce any spread.

The process of recruiting volunteers continues, similar to what the NHS have done. The volunteers would only be used if care home staffing has been reduced due to sickness. So far, the homes continue to operate with full staffing, helped by bank and agency staff.

We sent out letters notifying you of the private fees for 2020/21. We will send out invoices at the new rate later in April with an adjustment invoice for the period from 1 April.

We are hugely grateful to the ongoing commitment of our staff. They receive a separate weekly memo of update information and will have a detailed, individual letter about their pay increase, effective from 30 March.

As always, we would like to thank our staff, residents, their families and friends and all of our suppliers for working together during this difficult time.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 6 April 2020

We know this is a very worrying time for everyone. In the Randolph Hill nursing homes we are continuing to provide the best possible care we can in ever changing circumstances.

The government has asked us to stop visits to residents in care homes, to provide the best possible protection for residents, but also for staff who are needed to provide the care. We would ask that everyone follows this guidance.

We have now started the process of recruiting volunteers, similar to what the NHS have done. The volunteers would only be used if care home staffing has been reduced due to sickness. This will not change the current government rules about visiting.

Covid-19 testing for care home staff is continuing to roll out slowly by the NHS. This allows staff to return to work quicker if the tests are clear.

We will be sending out letters this week notifying you of the private fees for 2020/21. We will send out invoices at the new rate later in April with an adjustment invoice for the period from 1 April.

Our staff pay increase is also effective from 30 March.

Finally, we would like to thank our staff, residents, their families and friends and all of our suppliers.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 30 March 2020

We know this is a very worrying time for everyone. In the Randolph Hill nursing homes we are continuing to provide the best possible care we can in ever changing circumstances.

The government has asked us to stop all visits to residents in care homes, to provide the best possible protection for residents, but also for staff who are needed to provide the care. We would ask that everyone follows this guidance.

We are now beginning the process of recruiting volunteers, similar to what the NHS have done. The volunteers would be used only if care home staffing has been reduced due to sickness. Volunteers would be expected to help in the kitchen or the laundry or with residents with staff supervision. This will not change the current government rules about visiting. Further details can be found on our communication from 23rd March below. Covid-19 testing for care home staff has now been introduced to allow them to return to work quicker if the tests are clear.

Randolph Hill is following all the government advice that is being issued regularly and will continue to do so.

If you have any concerns please contact the home as the manager will be able to answer your specific question.

The Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Care have come to an agreement on the increase in care home fees for 2020/21. We will make these changes and write to you separately with the details. It is important that we make these changes now as staff are due their pay rise and it is important that we remain competitive with pay to avoid losing staff to our competitors. If you are having any difficulty in making payments at this time can you please contact your home administrator or call Linda Stuart in accounts at head office on 0131 523 0442.

Finally, once again we would like to thank everyone for pulling together at this difficult time to ensure that things can continue as close to normal. This includes our staff, residents, their families and friends and all of our suppliers.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing

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Memo to residents and their families – 23 March 2020

We know this is a very worrying time for everyone. In the Randolph Hill Nursing Homes Group, we are continuing to provide the best possible care we can in ever changing circumstances.

The Government has asked us to stop all visits to residents in care homes, to provide the best possible protection for residents, but also for staff who are needed to provide the care.

We would ask that everyone follows this guidance.

We have Skype and Facetime organised to make it easier for families to stay in contact with their relative in the home and we have ordered more computer tablets for this service.

Randolph Hill is following all the government advice that is being issued regularly and will continue to do so.

If you have any concerns please contact the home as the manager will be able to answer your specific question.

In these uncertain times it is imperative that families continue to pay the care home fees. That will keep the company in the best position to ensure ongoing payments to the staff who we rely on to provide the care.

Finally, we would like to thank everyone who are pulling together at this difficult time to ensure that things can continue as close to normal.

This includes our staff, residents, their families and friends and all of our suppliers.

Peter McCormick Ingrid Neville

Managing Director Director of Nursing